I'm the same way with the coffee... a friend of mine here is a blender and roaster, so I get my own freshly-roasted (usually Sumatra-based) blend on a regular basis, and grind it fresh. I even take it with me on business trips (which are frequent) so I don't have to drink the in-room "freshly brewed" swill that comes in packets. I switched to a Cuisinart burr grinder a couple of years ago (after the Vindaloo Incident) - a little harder to clean but worth it for the efficiency and grind variety. On a more chilified note - I harvested 101 habaneros (97 orange and 4 chocolate) from my plants this weekend after being gone for a week. If that's what going away for 8 days does for my chile harvest, I'll do it more often! Doug Irvine wrote: > Jonathan Smillie wrote: >> I've done much the same except that I cut mine in half - reduces >> drying time on thin-walled peppers. >> >> Ditto on the dedicated coffee grinder. I did have an interesting >> experience once when a friend who was staying with me used the wrong >> grinder for beans the morning after I'd made vindaloo spice... >> curried coffee, anyone? >> > And did your friend mention that you had a "warped" sense of taste?? > Oh Jonathan, you left yourself wide open for that one! :-))! > Actually, that would never happen here, as I use a burr grinder for my > coffee. I blend my own beans, a blend of Indonesian/Ethiopian beans, > and grind and brew fresh for every pot of coffee. Am I a coffee freak? > Yup! Just like my chilified taste buds... > As to cutting the habs, if they are large I will also cut 'em in half > lengthwise, you are correct in that they will dry far faster. > Marie cut up one of our Hot Portugals for a salsa other night and she > had to sit with her fingers in a bowl of milk for half an hour! > For any Macheads on the list, I installed Snow Leopard on Saturday in > my Mac Book. Amazingly fast install, and the Mac is like a new machine! > Cheers, Old Doug in BC >